Ratchet cable release



Sept 5, 1939. w. A. RIDDl-:LL

' RATCHET CABLE RELEASE Wiliiam A.Riddell kFiled Feb. 9, 1938 l NV ENTOR M la. @ma BY ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 5, i939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RATCHET CABLE RELEASE Application February 9, 1938, Serial No. 189,601

7 Claims.

This invention relates to photography, and more particularly to cable releases for photographic shutters.

One object of my invention is to provide a cable release which can be used for making time exposures with shutters which are not equipped with means for making time exposures b-uilt in the shutter. Another object of my invention is to provide a cable release having a pair of compressible finger grips which may be positively held together after a p-lunger has been depressed. Still another object of my invention is to provide a cable release in which the latch may positively hold the plunger in diffe-rent positions according to the amount of depression required for the particular shutter on which the cable release is used. Still another object of my invention is to provide a cable release with a latch for holding the shutter open and to provide a supplementary push-button for releasing the release. A still further object of my invention is to provide a pawl and ratchet latching arrangement between the nger grips of a cable release and to provide a means for normally holding the 25 latch elements out of engagement so that the cable release may be used4 in the usual manner for making instantaneous exposures, when desired. Other objects will appear from the following specication, the novel features being*I particularly pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

This cable release is of the same general type as the cable release shown in my copending application Serial No. 178,769, led December 8, 19.37. In this application a means for holding the cable release plunger in a depressed position was purely a friction means. The present application substitutes for the friction latch a positive latch which is desirable for certain types of 40 shutters and particularly desirable for shutters in which there is a rather powerful spring which normally returns the trigger or master member to its initial position. Y

Coming now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote like parts throughout:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a typical cable release constructed in accordance with and emv (Cl. 'Z4-502) Fig. 4 is an .enlarge-d fragmentary section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing, the cable release may consist of a pair of ringer grips I and 2 which arenormally spaced apart by means of a spring 3, but which may be moved toward each other to actuate a thrust member 4 which has a ferrule 5 on its end for actuating a photographic shutter.

The thrust member 4 extends inside a tubular member 6 which has a suitable ierrule I for attaching the cable release to a shutter by means of the thread 8. The finger grip I is directly attached to a plunger 9 which, in turn, is connected to the thrust member 4, as best shown in Fig. 2. As thus far described, the cable release is of a well known type.

However, it is desirable tohave a cable release in which the finger grips I and 2 may be held toward each other so that a shutter may be held open as long as the nger grips are held together and so that the shutter may close when the finger grips are permitted to return to their normal position. In order to accomplish this, I have provided one of the linger grips 2 with a base portion I0 which is made hollow to receive the dierent parts of the release. There is an opening II extending directly through the finger grip 2, this opening having a threaded portion I2 v3() to receive a threaded end of a cylindrical member I3 in which the' spring 3 is normally located. There is a second cylindrical opening I4 which encloses the ,end of the fabric I5 extending around the outside of a coiled spring I'I which supports the casing member.

The iinger grip 2 is also provided with a transverse aperture I8 in which a plug I9 is slidably mounted, this plug being normally thrust by a spring 20 so that a pawl 2| may be brought into :40 engagement with a ratchet tooth 22.

The pawl in this construction is rather unusual but can be simply and inexpensively made. The plug I9 is drilled out at 23 to provide a cylindrical aperture of considerably larger diameter than -45 the diameter of the thrust member 9 and at the lower end of the aperture 23 the walls of the aperture are tapered inwardly at 26. Thus, there remains a relatively sharp edge 2i which is annular in shape and which forms a pawl member to engage the annular ratchet teeth 22 cut on the thrust member 9. This construction is desirable -because the thrust member 9 may turn in operation relative to the nger grip 2 and it is immaterial what radial position the thrust member may have because the pawl 2| will always contact with one of the teeth.

On the outer end of the plug I9 there is a groove 25 which is adapted to receive an edge 26 of a disk 21 mounted to turn upon the headed stud 28.

When the disk is turned so that a portion of the disk lies in the slot 25, as indicated in Fig. 3, it will be noted that the pawl 2| is so positioned that it will not contact with any of the ratchet teeth 22 and the plunger 9 will be directly centered in the aperture 23. When in this position, the plunger may slide back and forth freely and the cable release may be used to make the usual instantaneous exposures by depressing the finger grip I toward the finger grip 2 and by permitting the spring 3 to return the finger grip as soon as released by an operator.

Where it is desirable to make a prolonged exposure with shutters which only have the socalled bulb exposure settingsthat isfwith shutters in which the trigger is depressed .to'open the shutter and released to close the'shutter-the .disk 21 may be turned so that an arcuatenotch in the disk 21 may lie opposite the roundedend 3| of the plug which forms a press button land so that the plug may assume .the position shown in Fig. 2 with the pawl 2| in proper `positionlto engage one of the teeth of the ratchet L.22. When in this position, if the finger grips areJprLessed toward each other, the plunger 9 vpasses downwardly through the aperture andthe pawl 2| will hold the plunger in its depressed position.

It might be pointed out here that different ,shutters require a different degree of movement of `whatever the 4thrust required, theY pawl `21 will always have the opportunity to engage a tooth 22 and ratchet the plunger inits depressed position.

By allowing the'finger grip to remain depressed for the required length of time, the shutter may be closed by merely pressing in' von thepush^- button 3|. This causes the pawl2l to releasef a tooth 22. Moreover, when the push-button is depressed, the shoulder 33 of the plug will engage the shoulder 34 of the finger grip 2Y and cause the inward movement of the plug to stopV when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the plunger is free of the pawl 2| andmay slide freely through the aperture 2|. I

If the release is to be used asecond time for time exposures, the finger grip 3| may be rerleased. If, however, it is desirable to return Athe Vrelease to its instantaneous operating position, -it

is only necessary to turn the `disk 21 which is knurled around its edge 35 so thata portion o f the disk lies in the slot 25 of the plug and thus prevents its return movement from the position shown in Fig. 3. Y

Iclaim: y, Y 1. In a cable release, the combinationwith a pair rof finger grips, a tubular member carried by one finger grip, a plunger carried by the other finger grip, a plurality of ratchet teeth formed fon the plunger, a pawl inside of the tubular finger grip mounted to move between two positions in one of which said pawl may engage said ratchet and hold said plunger in a set position and in the other of which said pawl is retained out of engagement with said plunger permitting said plunger to move idly in the finger grip, and means for retaining said pawl in a set position.

2. In a cable release, the combination with a pair of finger grips, a hollow member carried by one finger grip, a plunger carried by the other finger grip and extending into the hollow member `carried by the first-mentioned nger grip, a spring 'for vnormally separating the finger grips, a pawl and ratchet, one carried by the plunger finger grip and the other by the hollow finger grip, said parts being adapted to contact to hold the plunger finger grip in a depressed condition, and means on the exterior of a finger grip for holding the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet.

3. Ina cable release, the combination with a pair of finger grips, a hollow membercarried by one finger grip, a plunger carried by the other finger grip and extending into the hollow member carried by the first-mentioned finger grip, a spring Vfor normally separating the finger grips, a -pawl and ratchet forming cooperating parts, one part being carried by the plunger finger grip and the other part by the hollow finger grip, Ysaid parts being adapted to contact to hold the plunger finger grip in a depressed condition, said ratchet comprising a plurality of teeth cut in the plunger, and said pawl comprising a movablymounted toothed member adapted to engage the ratchet,

and means carried on the exterior of a finger.

grip for positioning the pawl out lof with the ratchet.

4. In a cable release, the combination withva pair of finger grips, aI hollow member carried by one finger grip, av plunger carried by the other finger grip extending into the hollow `member carried by the first-mentioned finger gripga spring for normally separating the `finger grips, -a pawl and ratchet forming cooperating parts,

engagement one part being carried bythe plungerfmger grip l.45 and the other part being carried by the-hollow""' finger grip, said parts being adapted to' contact to hold the plunger finger grip in 'a depressedconsaid ratchet. Y

5. In a cable release, the combination with -a pair of finger grips, a tubular member carried .by ,50 one finger grip, a plunger carried by the other finger grip, a plurality of ratchet teeth formed on the plunger, a pawl inside of the .tubular finger grip comprisingga movable member including` an aperture with an inwardly projecting face con- ,v

stituting a pawl adapted` to engage the ratchet teeth in the plunger passing'through the aperture of the movable member, means for moving the pawl to release the ratchet including a plung-v er integral with the pawl and extending through @o said hollow finger grip to form an operating button for said pawl.

6. In a cable release, the combination with a pair of finger grips, a tubularmember-carriedby one finger grip, a plunger carried by "thefother 15 nger grip, a plurality of ratchet teeth formed on the plunger, a pawl inside of the tubular nger grip comprising a movable member having an aperture therethrough With an inwardly projecting face constituting a pawl adapted toengage the ratchet teeth on the plunger passing through the tubular member, means for moving the pawl to release the ratchet including a release button extending through said hollow finger grip and forming an integral part of said pawl, and means also on the outside of the finger grip for moving the pawl to a position in which the ratchet may slide idly therethrough.

7. In a cable release, the combination With a pair of finger grips, a tubular member carried by one finger grip, a plunger carried by the other finger grip, a plurality of ratchet teeth formed on the plunger, a. pawl inside of the tubular nger grip in the form of a slidable member having an aperture therethrough of an inside diameter sufficient to permit the ratchet to slide axially therethrough, and having a tooth-like wall forming the ratchet engaging portion of the pawl, said slidable member being movable transversely of the hollow grip, a spring tending to move said member until said tooth-like pawl may engage said ratchet and hold said plunger in a set position, and a button carried by the end of said pawl and outside of said hollovT nger grip for moving the slidable member against spring pressure to release the pawl and ratchet.

WILLIAM A. RIDDELL. 

